page_title: 86th Air Division
section_title: Fighter-Interceptor Squadrons
hierarchical_section_title: 86th Air Division / Major components / Fighter-Interceptor Squadrons
caption_attribution_description: English: 431st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron Convair F-102 Delta Daggers at Wheelus Ramp
context_page_description: The 86th Air Division is a former designation of the 86th Airlift Wing, a United States Air Force organization. It was assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe at Ramstein Air Base, West Germany. It was inactivated on 14 November 1968. Its mission was the air defense of NATO-controlled airspace in Western Europe.
context_section_description: Initially 86th AD aircraft were in Air Defense Command Grey, although a few aircraft received by the 525th FIS had Arctic Red fins remaining from their former unit in the Alaskan Air Command.
  The Division was composed of six fighter-interceptor squadrons,  four in West Germany, one in France, and one in The Netherlands.  In January 1959 the 525th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Bitburg Air Base received its first Convair F-102 Delta Dagger.  In 1960, additional F-102s were received from Air Defense Command (ADC), equipping the 32d, 496th, 526th, 431st and 497th FIS.    These aircraft were made available to USAFE by ADC as the F-102 was being replaced by the McDonnell F-101 Voodoo and the Convair F-106 Delta Dart as an interceptor.
  The F-86D Sabre-equipped 513th FIS at Phalsbourg-Bourscheid AB, France and the 514th FIS at Ramstein AB, West Germany were both inactivated on 8 January 1961. On 18 May 1964, the 431st was reassigned to the 65th Air Division in Spain. and the  497th FIS was re designated 497th Tactical Fighter Squadron and transferred to George AFB, California .
  Shortly after their arrival, Division aircraft added a sunburst pattern to their fins. This pattern was subdued in the summer of 1963 when Division units removed the sunburst pattern from their fins and flew in plain grey with the unit insignia usually carried on the fin.   This was supplemented in 1965 with a horizontal band added to the fin in the same squadron color as the former sunburst pattern.    In late 1965, the aircraft began to be converted to the Southeast Asia three-color camouflage pattern.
  32d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron,  18 November 1960 – 1 November 1968
  F-102 Delta Dagger, Soesterberg AB, Netherlands
  496th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1960–1969
  F-102 Delta Dagger, Hahn AB, West Germany
  513th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 18 November 1960 – 8 January 1961
  F-86D Sabre, Phalsbourg-Bourscheid AB, France (Inactivated) 
  514th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron,  18 November 1960 – 8 January 1961
  F-86D Sabre, Ramstein AB, West Germany (Inactivated)
  525th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 18 November 1960 – 1 November 1968
  F-102 Delta Dagger, Bitburg AB, West Germany
  526th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. 18 November 1960 – 1 November 1968
  F-102 Delta Dagger, Ramstein AB, West Germany
  431st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron 1 July 1960 – 18 May 1964
  F-102 Delta Dagger, Zaragoza AB, Spain (Transferred to the 65th Air Division)
  497th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1 July 1960 – 18 June 1964
  F-102 Delta Dagger, Torrejon AB, Spain (Inactivated and transferred to Tactical Air Command)
  F-104 Starfighter Attached units
  During the Berlin Crisis of 1961,  three Air National Guard Lockheed F-104A Starfighter Squadrons were federalized and deployed to Europe to reinforce the 86th AD.   The 151st FIS of the Tennessee Air National Guard and 197th FIS of the Arizona Air National Guard were assigned to Ramstein Air Base.  The 157th FIS from the South Carolina Air National Guard was assigned to Moron AB Spain and was placed under the 65th Air Division.
  Following the end of the crisis, all of these ANG squadrons were returned to the United States by August 1962 and returned to state control.
  151st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 19 December 1961 – 11 July 1962
  F-104A Starfighter, Tennessee Air National Guard TDY to Ramstein AB, West Germany
  157th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 25 November 1961 - 16 August 1962
  F-104A Starfighter, South Carolina Air National Guard TDY to Moron AB, Spain
  197th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 25 November 1961 – 11 July 1962
  F-104A Starfighter, Arizona Air National Guard  TDY to Ramstein AB, West Germany
caption: 431st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron Convair F-102 Delta Daggers, shown at Wheelus Air Base, Libya for gunnery training, 1962.
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